But even when all of the above—from the British Empire’s notorious history to Andrew’s scandal to the queen’s physical (if not reputational) mortality—is considered, the expert adds, “Lots of people in the country, even those who don’t support the idea of a monarchy anymore, still have a soft spot for the queen. All of these points point to the fact the reputation of the monarchy depends on it being kept,” both now and in the future. It’s not clear if that will ever be true.

Subsequently, Sacerdoti wouldn’t be surprised if William and Kate are still regrouping from their rocky tour, with more foresight as to what people in the U.K. and beyond really want from them on their agenda moving forward.

He stated, “I believe a lot questions will be answered” in terms of “how they could have got something so wrong and how to fix it.”

And the old royal adage of “never complain, never explain” probably won’t cut it—or at least that second part definitely won’t—as they attempt to keep calm and carry on.

—With reporting by Beth Sobol